Deutsche Messe AG yesterday outlined the restructuring of its CeBIT 2008 trade fair in Hanover, which next year will focus more on B2B and less on novelties.

Although CeBIT 2007 enjoyed overall attendance of 480,000 (an increase of more than 10 per cent compared with 2006) and deals worth around €11bn, the world's largest computer fair has been facing defection of major exhibitors for some time.

Next year, CeBIT will concentrate more on business, public sector, and residential retailers and hobbyists. The four main topics, as previously announced, will be business solutions, public sector solutions, home and mobile solutions, and technology and infrastructure.

Business solutions addresses exhibitors who sell products and services that optimise business and ICT solutions for industry users and the service sector.

Another exhibition, SAO World, will focus on IT procurement, and in the CRM Arena visitors will learn about improving customer relationship management. Bankers and insurance brokers can visit the banking and finance forums to learn about the latest developments in their sector. The CeBIT in Motion information forum will cover the issues of telematics and navigation, automotive, and transport and logistics.

A consulting and services area has also been added to CeBIT 2008. Here, service providers and management and technology consulting firms will be providing information about consulting, integration/implementation, and outsourcing.

From now on, the TeleHealth Congress will also be integrated in CeBIT, highlighting telemedical applications and technologies.

CeBIT 2008 will be held from 4-9 March. ®

Related stories

• CeBIT 2007: The package (16 March 2007)
• CeBIT blog CeBIT clips vulture's wing (16 March 2007)
• CeBIT to get B2B overhaul in 2008 (24 January 2007)
• CeBIT 'expecting €6m loss' (4 January 2007)